In the Garden

With the arrival of fall, days will soon be getting noticeably shorter and nighttime temperatures will begin to fall.

Now, as your trees begin responding to the changing conditions, you can take a number of proactive steps to care for them and help ensure they will be healthy and beautiful for years to come.

“It’s a good idea to think about the health of your trees in fall,” says certified arborist Jason Anderson, co-owner of Arborscapes LLC. Anderson conducts the training on trees for Master Gardeners in Henrico, Chesterfield, and Goochland/Powhatan.

He advises starting by taking a good, long look at your trees. Notice whether there are dead branches – which are much easier to identify while the leaves are still on the tree. Some dead branches are normal, but if more than roughly 10% -- the amount varies by tree type – is dead, you may want to consider talking to a certified arborist.

Look again when the leaves start to fall to make sure all your deciduous trees of the same species are dropping their leaves at roughly the same time. “If one is dropping its leaves earlier, it can be a sign that the tree is stressed,” says Anderson.

Checking trees of like species again next spring to see if they bud at roughly the same time can also help you tell if you have a tree that is stressed.

“An important thing to remember,” says Anderson, “particularly if you have a mature tree is that the tree may not show signs of distress for two or three years following the event that causes the stress.”

After looking up, look down to check the mulch around your trees.

“Mulching is one of the best things you can do for your trees,” says Anderson, “provided you do it properly.”

Mulch around trees should be no more than 2-3 inches deep and should never be piled up against tree bark at the base of the tree. Make the ring of mulch as large as you can up to the dripline or end of the branches of the tree.

“It’s important not to over mulch,” says Anderson. “And you need to remember that mulch goes over the roots, but not on the trunk of the tree.”

Mulch adds organic matter to the soil around the tree and helps keep soil temperatures warmer, allowing tree roots to continue to grow later into the fall. Once winter arrives, mulch helps reduce alternate freezing and thawing that heaves soil and can cause damage to young roots.

Fall and winter when trees are dormant are also ideal times to do any pruning that may be needed. “Structural and formative pruning on trees less than ten years old can help eliminate problems in the future,” explains Anderson. “And older trees may need deadwood removed to improve their structure and reduce liability during bad weather.”

The fire broke out in the third floor of the Chase Gayton apartment complex in the 10 block of Chase Gayton Drive, near the intersection of Gaskins Road and Quioccasin Road, at about 1:20 p.m. Sept. 24. > Read more.

Crime stoppers needs your help to solve a double homicide that occurred in the City of Richmond in June of this year.

On Wednesday, June 7, at approximately 9:53 p.m., Richmond police officers responded to several calls for random gunfire in the 3600 block of Decatur Street. They arrived and found the victims, two males, Christian Singleton and Ketron Wells. The victims were outside on the ground lying near each other. Both victims had received fatal gunshot wounds. > Read more.

The Richmond Astronomical Society and Libbie Mill Library will host a presentation about the night sky and its astronomy Sept. 28, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Attendees will enjoy amazing views of the moon and other celestial objects with high-quality telescopes operated by members of the Richmond Astronomical Society. Guests will be able to see craters and seas on the surface of the moon with clarity and detail. > Read more.

The number of homes sold in Henrico County in August rose 10 percent when compared to the same month last year, according to data compiled by Long & Foster. The average sale price of those homes – $239,975 – also rose, by about 4 percent when compared to the same average sale price in August 2016.

Henrico's jump in the number of homes sold was the largest in the Richmond region, though average sales prices in Chesterfield (8 percent increase) and Richmond (12 percent) jumped by higher amounts when compared to last August sales. > Read more.

Graham M. Bundy, a thoracic surgeon with HCA Virginia Physicians’ Cardiothoracic Surgical Associates, is the first such surgeon in Central Virginia to perform 100 minimally-invasive Da Vinci robot-assisted lobectomies (a surgical procedure to remove a lobe of the lung). The procedure is used to treat multiple types of conditions but is most often used to treat lung cancer. > Read more.

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Henricus Historical Park will host its third annual Naturalization Ceremony from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nearly 60 people will become new United States citizens. Henricus welcomes any citizens who were previously naturalized at the park, and their families, to join in the celebration with all-day free admission to the historic site. The ceremony also is free and open to the public.
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